Gravity-operated delay mechanism



May 14, 1968 D. A. GOLDSTEIN 3,

' GRAVITY-OPERATED DELAY MECHANISM Filed Jan. 6, 1966 q-lOa IO l5 TIMER FlG.l

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United States Patent 3,382,725 GRAVITY-OPERATED DELAY MECHANISM David A. Goldstein, Bellmore, N.Y., assignor to Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 519,026 2 Claims. (Cl. 74-1) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A gravity-operated delay mechanism comprises a freely rotatable disc having an annular flange with a slot dimensioned to receive a single ball weight and biased by gravity to a predetermined position. A conduit is disposed to deliver one or more balls to the slot in succession each time the disc occupies a predetermined position. Movement of a ball into the slot changes the center of gravity of the disc to effect rotation thereof. The mechanism has an exit port in registry with the slot when the disc occupies a second predetermined position to permit exit of a ball from the slot, thereby causing the disc to return to its original biased position. Associated with the mechanism is a timer actuated by the balls from the exit port and a control mechanism which initiates operation of the timer simultaneously with the release of a ball from the conduit.

This invention relates to a gravity-operated delay mechanism and particularly to such a mechanism which is substantially unaffected by variations of ambient conditions over a wide range.

Heretofore there have been devised various forms of mechanical delay devices, the majority of which incorporate spring-operated escapement or similar timing devices. Such devices are subject to a number of disadvantages, for example, variations in the spring constant and the delay for any given setting with variations in ambient conditions, such as temperature. Moreover, the magnitude of the delay varies nonlinearly with initial setting or deflection of the driving spring, thus making it difficult to calibrate the mechanism over a wide range of delays.

The present invention has for its object a simple, rugged gravity-operated delay mechanism which is substantially unaffected by variations in ambient conditions over a wide range.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a gravity-operated delay mechanism comprising a freely bidirectionally rotatable member having a chamber dimensioned to receive a single weight of given dimensions and biased to a predetermined position, a conduit for delivering one or more weights to the chamber in succession each time the member occupies the predetermined position, the parameters of the member and the chamber being such that receipt of a weight by the chamber effects rotation of the member against the bias, and an exit port in registry with the chamber when the member has rotated through a predetermined angle to permit exit of a weight from the chamber, thereby causing the rotatable member to return to its predetermined biased position.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, while its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation, partly in section, of a gravity-operated delay mechanism embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 along the line 22, while FIG. 3 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in a different operating position.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is illustrated a gravity-operated delay mechanism comprising a rotatable member having a chamber dimensioned to receive a single weight of given dimensions and biased to a predetermined position. This member may be in the form of a flanged disc 10 having a chamber 11 in the periphery thereof to receive a ball 12 or similar weight of a given diameter fitting loosely within the chamber 11. The apparatus further includes a conduit 13 for delivering one or more weights or balls 12 to the chamber 11 in succession each time the disc member 10 occupies the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. For example, there may be provided a gate 14 closing the end of the conduit 13 and actuated by a mechanism represented schematically at 15 for releasing the weights 12 one at a time from the conduit 13 to the chamber 11.

The disc member 10 is biased by gravity to the position shown in FIG. 1. For example, its construction and the distribution of its mass are such that its center of gravity is at the point 16 which is at its lowest point when the disc member 10 is in the position to receive a weight from the conduit 13. However, when a weight is received in the chamber 11, the center of gravity is shifted or raised to effect rotation of the member to the position shown in FIG. 3. The parameters of the disc member 10 and the chamber 11 are such that receipt of a weight or ball 12 by the chamber 11 thereby effects rotation of the disc member 10 from the position shown in FIG. 1 to that shown in FIG. 3 against the bias represented by the raising of the center of gravity 16 of the disc alone.

The delay mechanism of the invention further comprises an exit port 17 in registry with the chamber 11 when the disc member 10 has rotated through a predetermined angle, as shown in FIG. 3, to permit exit of a weight from the chamber 11, as indicated by the dotted line position of the weight 12 in FIG. 3. The mechanism also includes a counter or timer 18 actuated by the weights exiting from the exit port 17 and a control mechanism represented schematically by the mechanism 15 for initiating operation of the timer simultaneously with the release of a weight from the conduit 13 into the chamber 11 by the gate 14.

It is believed that the operation of the delay mechanism of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing description. For example, assume that the apparatus is initially in the position indicated in FIG. 1 and that a ball weight 12 has just been released from the conduit 13 to the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. Prior to the entry of the ball weight 12 into the chamber 11, the disc member 10 is balanced with its center of gravity 16 in the lowermost position. The entry of the ball 12 into the chamber 11 imbalances the disc member and causes it to rotate to the position of FIG. 3, whereupon the ball 12 passes out through the exit port 17. The force of gravity operating on the disc member 10 now returns it to its initial position shown in FIG. 1. Each time the mechanism 15 is actuated to raise the gate 14 and release a ball 12, the above-described cycle is repeated. The conduit 13 can, of course, be designed to hold any given number of balls 12.

The timer 18 may be any conventional form which counts the number of balls discharged into it and either indicates or produces an output effect equal to the sum of the delays produced by the series of balls passing through the mechanism. The amount of delay for each cycle of operation of the mechanism can be readily adjusted by varying the distance between the positions of the conduit 13 and the exit 17, thus varying the length of travel of the ball during each initial half-cycle of operation.

- It will be seen that the gravity-operated delay mechanism of the invention is substantially completely independent of ambient conditions, the only retarding factors being the rolling friction of the balls 12 as they pass through the mechanism and that encountered at the ,pivotal mounting of disc member 1:) on shaft 9, and these may be made negligible.

While there has been described what is, at present, considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein, without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A gravity-operated delay mechanism comprising:

a freely bidirectionally rotatable member having a chamber dimensioned to receive a single weight of given dimensions and biased to a predetermined position;

a conduit for delivering one or more weights to said chamber in succession each time said member occupies said predetermined position;

the parameters of said member and said chamber being such that receipt of a weight by said chamber effects rotation of said member against said bias;

an exit port in registry with said chamber when said member has rotated through a predetermined angle to permit exit of a weight from said chamber, thereby causing said member to return to said predetermined biased position;

and a timer actuated by weights exiting from said exit port.

2. A gravity-operated delay mechanism in accordance with claim 1 including a gate in said conduit for releasing weights to said chamber one at a time in succession and a control mechanism for initiating operation of said timer simultaneously with release of a weight from said conduit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 779,209 1/ 1905 Drucker 193-32 2,435,526 2/1948 Young et al 221-295 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,946 5/ 1925 Netherlands.

FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner.

W. S. RATLIFF, Assistant Examiner. 

